Mountain Roads - Often Scary, Always Fascinating

Impressions After Travelling Of One Of My Country's Highest Roads

Traveling by a vehicle high up in the mountains of my country, at an altitude of about 2,000 meters, can be a downright scary adventure, but also a rewarding experience.

Last year, as part of a summer trip to some of the natural and cultural landmarks of Romania, I had the chance, among other great exploits, to travel on some truly unforgettable mountain roads, such as the one from Curtea de Arges to Vidraru Dam, a journey full of extraordinary sights and discoveries which left me with great memories that will never be deleted from my mind.

As the trip was made at a relaxed pace, there were several stops along the way until we reached the dam, so I had plenty of opportunities to take pictures and simply enjoy the greatness of nature. However, the almost indescribable beauty of the mountain landscape was also scary. As the road was going higher and higher it was more difficult to look down at the canyons under it, and going close to the edge was obviously dangerous, as the view of the deep ravines below was a warning to everyone to be extremely cautious. Definitely, it wasn’t a trip recommended for those who suffer from vertigo.

This mixture of feelings and mental states which ranged from wonder at the incredible natural beauty of the mountain to fear of the ravines below was a remarkable experience, and I guess that no matter how often you travel on that road, at an altitude of 2,000 meters and staring at the abyss below, you can't get used to those strange feelings completely and you can never let your guard down. It is very tempting and exciting to get next to the edge of the road, but it can also be your last adventure too, if you feel too cocky and ignore the danger of going too close to the margin.

That's exactly what a couple of persons did on that trip just because they wanted to get a few spectacular pictures of themselves almost at the borderline between the road and the deadly chasm next to it; it was courageous, but definitely not a wise move, and I decided not to follow their example. I preferred to keep a safe distance from the guard rails, and even so I can’t deny that I was feeling a little anxious when looking at those daring, but also foolish individuals.
One wrong step, one moment of negligence and they could have fallen into the abyss.

Luckily nothing bad happened and they lived to tell the story of their risky exploits. Anyway, whenever I look back at the photos made on that occasion, I almost relive those stunning moments and that unique combination of feelings, including both admiration and fear, goes back to my mind. Mountain roads are truly splendid, but they can also be highly dangerous, so we must always be very cautious when we are there.

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Yes, it was definitely an awesome experience; I guess a lot of people who travel on narrow mountains had the same feelings as mine. It's a great adventure, but it's a lso a blessing when the journey ends.

Yes, nature deserves to be admired, protected and sometimes even feared. We can surely enjoy such a trip on a mountain road because it offers us some truly unique memories, but we must also be extremely cautious if we want to live to tell the story of our journey to friends and relatives.